Linbeymusol Wonderful character development!

Fluentiama Perfect cast and a good story

CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Allison Davies The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

oOoBarracuda Woody Allen's 1983 film, Zelig was an interesting concept for a film. In the style of a mockumentary, Woody Allen starred as a man who was a literal human chameleon, appearing in the background newsreel footage through many different periods of history as he assumed the role of the context he was in. Zelig was able to change anything about himself, including his ethnicity with almost no effort. Eventually, under the care of a world-renowned psychologist, it was discovered that Zelig suffered from an insatiable need for ultimate conformity with the goal of being universally liked. The rest of the mockumentary delved into the psychological and legal struggles of a man who could change so much about himself so effortlessly. Perhaps, Zelig suffered from my not being in the right frame of mind to take it in, or perhaps it was just so different from what I expected at that moment, or perhaps it is simply a film that begs a second viewing but I didn't love it as much as I loved many other films I've been watching throughout this Woody Allen project. Zelig uses the mockumentary style in the best way that I have ever seen, those types of films don't impact me, personally, but I can recognize that Zelig used this format well. Zelig is complete with a traditionally perfect Woody Allen opening, and plenty of trademarks of the director to make any Woody Allen fan happy. Zelig grapples with death and identity, in perhaps the deepest way I've seen yet. The film is also another in his oeuvre that uses gorgeous black and white photography. What was missed, however, was the incredible dialogue I've come to expect from Woody Allen films, which was a bit of a letdown.

SnoopyStyle During the 20's, Leonard Zelig (Woody Allen) becomes a popular sensation. He's an unassuming person who seems to fit into any situation. He is taken to a mental hospital where he's misdiagnosed. Dr. Eudora Fletcher (Mia Farrow) is more compelled by the new patient and diagnose him as a "human chameleon". She treats him as his fame grows. Then he disappears and resurfaces in Nazi pre-war Germany.I don't get it. It's definitely not funny to me. Woody Allen creates a faux documentary using the old fashion style. It's an intriguing idea but with no voice, Zelig is a mystery. He is not compelling. I can't get a handle on the character. This could be an intriguing drama but there is not a single laugh or even a single smirk.

leonblackwood Review: What was Woody Allen on when he was making this film? I must admit, it's shot extremely well and he really looks like he's in some of the old footage, but the storyline is completely bonkers. It's about a human chameleon who seeks treatment for his weird condition. I really wondered what was going on while I was watching the film because it looked so real. The added commentary and interviews also made it seem really realistic but the storyline does go from one extreme to another. Watching Allen's character change into a Jew and a black person was cleverly done for a movie that was made in the 80's, but I was wondering what was Allen trying to attempt. It's shot like a documentary so there isn't much comedy but the concept is original but weird. I did stick with the movie because of the crazy storyline, but I don't know if I liked it or just thought that it was mad. Watchable!Round-Up: Personally I think that this movie would have been much better if he had some top class actors in it. The scene were Zelig was sitting behind Hitler trying to get his wife's attention was impressive and Allen played his character well. When all of his wife's started to pop out of the woodwork, the moral of the story comes into play but it's still a crazy movie. It's worth a watch just to witness Zelig change into different people and to see how he cleverly put the movie together. It does seem like your watching the History channel because of the old footage, but when you see Allen's face pop up in some of the shots, you realise that it's his warped sense of humour that created such a off the wall movie.Budget: N/A Domestic Gross: $12millionI recommend this movie to people who are into there Woody Allen movies about human chameleon, trying to to be cured of his condition. 5/10

gridoon2018 Technically, "Zelig" is brilliant. Others have explained how and why in lengthier terms. It's an ambitious experiment from Woody Allen, who seems to have gone through with it just to prove that he could do it....and he was right. However, it's also one of the last films that I would recommend to someone new to Woody Allen to start with - yes, I consider it more difficult to "get into" than "Interiors" or "Stardust Memories". The main problem is summed up by the movie itself, when the narrator (a magnificently deadpan Patrick Horgan) calls Zelig a "nonperson": it's hard to stay interested in a movie where the main character has actually no character (in fact, he barely even speaks) at all, at least in the first half. It's no coincidence that "Zelig"'s most enjoyable scenes are those where Woody slips back into his usual persona while Mia Farrow attempts to hypnotize and psychoanalyze him, and throws 2 or 3 (but no more than 5) hilarious lines (my favorite: "I teach a masturbation class, and if I'm late they start without me!"). Woody's point ("Be yourself") is a valid one, but you'll get it quickly, and then you'll mostly be left to admire the film's technical brilliance. One thing that does shine through is Allen's love for cinema itself. **1/2 out of 4.